Frum Blame to Reforming Accountability, Toward the Constitution

Posted by Buck68 on March 1st, 2010 filed in Uncategorized

by Buck 68™, an American Citizen
March 1, 2010. ©2010, all rites re-served

[author's note: this article won't make much sense if you do not first read David Frum's article. It may not make much sense for you after, but, still, I highly recommend you read this one side-by-side with David's for ready cross-reference.]
Blame yesterday’s reforms for today’s gridlocked Congress by David Frum [LINK follows]:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/01/frum.smoke.filled.congress/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

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As the story goes, Ben Franklin was descending the steps of Philadelphia Hall after he and others signed the Constitution. A newly minted US Citizen stopped Ben and demanded, “what have you done to us in there?” Ben replied: “given you a Republic…if you can keep it.”

Let us compare Frum O’Neill’s answer that “people are better, results are worse” to Lincoln’s perspective at Gettysburg: “Is it rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us?”

Take this 1950 to 1980 quiz:

Civil Rights

: in the name of correcting a wrong, we made one group ’special’. Now we have a nation of ’special groups’ – legalized inequality and unmerited favoritism. Do you overcome slavery by creating a caste system of special treatments?

Voting Rights

: in the name of enfranchising all, we created a system for manipulating the illiterate, the uninformed, and the illegal. And, as technology progresses, our election process regresses in efficiency, accuracy, and integrity.

Medicare/Medicaid

: advocated to help the poorer, it has become an unsustainable unfunded increasing entitlement for many more things for many more…and perhaps soon on paper everything for everybody forever.

Immigration

: In the name of ending preferences for Europeans, we created “fair” quotas for all – which we fail to follow or enforce. How does massive trafficking in illegal immigrants while penalizing legal immigrants, address equitable treatment, population, or competitive issues?,

Environment

: In the name of cleaner this or endangered that, we have created large “protection” bureaucracies that take private property, make a market in pollution credits, and stifle both industry and competition.

Shall we move Frum these grand sweeping explanations, to one simple one?

How about…human nature? In a simple saying, “the road to hell is paving with good intentions”. We may know how to do good things, but. But. Do good intentions make good people, or better people? Do fair people do good, and bad results “happen” or … just Blame?

For good or ill, human beings do things. Human beings feel and can think. Human beings know. No thing or animal is ‘responsible’ …except, human beings. Why? The answer to this question is the key to why Blame, Revenge, the ends justify the means, greed, ’special treatment’, and words that mean whatever you feel… produce ever worsening results.
Again and again, today’s gridlock can be traced to today’s versions of yesterday’s good intentions, blame, revenge, the ends justify the means, greed, ’special treatment’, and so froth.

How about Frum how tough or easy to filibuster, using Frum’s example, to a universal human relational principle: if you want more of it, subsidize it.

Let’s keep it real simple. Way back, how many laws, rules did we have? And since then, how many more have we made? Have more and more laws, regulations, policies, programs… made it better for us?

When will we “clean up politics”? Break “gridlock”? Stop special interests? When will we reform…reform?

Will secret or transparent dealing ‘do it for us’? Will authoritarian or participative leading ‘do it for us’? How about ‘more publicity’?

When I am right in my own mind – others or things are To Blame. To know me is to love me. To not agree with me is wrong [and the worst ever too - it's "inappropriate"!]. And I’m always just doing the best I can, and have to do what’s best for me.

In other words, my fellow close-minded, selfish, exceptional Americans, if YOU would try to keep our Republic; if YOU would dedicate yourself to this great task before us – then YOU, first and daily, give up Blame and take up Responsibility.

Responsibility requires certain ethics; certain ethics require morals; morals to be authoritative require a Higher Power than us, the Creator. Otherwise, you’ll have to take my word for whatever – and that’s just plain silly! So, Frum Blame to accepting and following the Constitution…is the beginning of the responsibility of every American citizen. Why? Because without God, our Constitution is just MY constitution. Not to worry: I’ve heard each day will have enough trouble of its own.

So, TODAY… is this day yours, or is there time to consider what Ben and Abe suggest?